Rev. Cynthia J. Abrams
Leader of "Native American Survival"
Cynthia Abrams serves as the Director for the Alcohol, Other Addictions, and Health Care Program of the General Board of Church and Society of the United Methodist Church.
Cynthia was born and raised on and near the Cattaraugus Reservation of the Seneca Nation of Indians in Western New York State. She moved to California as an adult and earned her Bachelor of Arts degree at the California State University at Long Beach in Broadcast Journalism and her Master of Divinity at the Claremont School of Theology.
She is currently a student in the Doctoral program, Faith and Health of Communities at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC. Cynthia is a clergy member of the California Pacific Annual Conference.
Prior to ordination she served in her local UMW unit in several officer positions and in the District as a district UMW officer. She served local pastorates from 1993-1999 and served nationally in the church as a board member of the GBOD and UMCOM.
From 1999 through 2003 she served as the Executive Director of the National United Methodist Native American Center. She currently serves on the board of the National Coalition Against Legalized Gambling, Pathways to Promise an ecumenical ministry and mental health organization, and provides leadership to several other national health-related and addiction prevention coalitions.
While on staff at the Native American United Methodist Church of Southern California she administered the church-sponsored outreach center for American Indian substance abusers in the City of Los Angeles. She considers her formative years within the Four Corners United Methodist Church of the Seneca Nation of Indians, her staff work at the Native American United Methodist Church of Southern California, and her 1984 Ethnic Local Church Young Adult internship with the General Board of Church and Society to be instrumental in teaching her to live a life grounded in a deep faith and close relationship with Jesus Christ which is lived out by working for systemic God-centered change in our world through acts of justice and mercy. Cynthia attends Grace UMC in Manassas, Virginia while under clergy appointment at the General Board of Church and Society.